Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shizuoka and Tokyo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shizuoka: $1,138 a month against $1,663 in Tokyo, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Shizuoka
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Shizuoka Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Tokyo
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Tokyo Living Index

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Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,138

/mo nomad

Tokyo

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Shizuoka and in Tokyo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shizuoka and in Tokyo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,138 per month in Shizuoka vs $1,663 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,138
Tokyo $1,663

A couple spends around $1,789 per month in Shizuoka vs $2,592 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shizuoka $1,789
Tokyo $2,592

A family of three spends $2,441 per month in Shizuoka vs $3,521 in Tokyo, rent included.

Shizuoka $2,441
Tokyo $3,521

Shizuoka is about 32% cheaper than Tokyo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Shizuoka sits 16% below the global median, while Tokyo is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 ¥1,015

$7.47 ¥1,180

-14.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.81 ¥5,026

$37.48 ¥5,921

-15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ¥802

$4.90 ¥774

3.67%

Cappuccino

$2.96 ¥468

$3.62 ¥571

-18.23%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ¥152

$1.66 ¥262

-41.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 ¥119

$0.84 ¥133

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 ¥435

$3.69 ¥582

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 ¥605

$5.24 ¥829

-26.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 ¥239

$1.49 ¥236

1.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ¥198

$1.75 ¥276

-28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 ¥709

$5.63 ¥889

-20.25%

Eggs

$1.83 ¥289

$2.20 ¥348

-16.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 ¥1,123

$11.19 ¥1,767

-36.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 ¥853

$6.84 ¥1,081

-21.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 ¥2,229

$16.61 ¥2,624

-15.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 ¥519

$4.80 ¥759

-31.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 ¥305

$2.24 ¥354

-13.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 ¥541

$4.22 ¥666

-18.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.13 ¥495

$5.20 ¥821

-39.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 ¥239

$3.29 ¥520

-54.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥179

$3.05 ¥481

-62.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 ¥176

$1.19 ¥188

-6.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 ¥135

$0.81 ¥129

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.86 ¥610

$3.92 ¥619

-1.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 ¥1,375

$9.65 ¥1,524

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥233

$1.63 ¥258

-9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 ¥512

$2.70 ¥426

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 ¥283

$1.25 ¥197

43.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ¥8,514

$63.9 ¥10.1K

-15.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 ¥546

$3.13 ¥494

10.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 ¥293

$3.21 ¥507

-42.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.01 ¥3,003

$18.55 ¥2,931

2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ¥165

$1.05 ¥166

-0.95%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.7K ¥3.4M

$21.5K ¥3.4M

0.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$15.3K ¥2.4M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

0.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$138 ¥21.8K

$149 ¥23.5K

-7.04%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.18 ¥2,398

$21.59 ¥3,412

-29.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.16 ¥4,764

$30.62 ¥4,837

-1.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 ¥8,316

$66.7 ¥10.5K

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.82 ¥1,709

$25.58 ¥4,042

-57.70%

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 ¥1,928

$12.68 ¥2,004

-3.71%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$320 ¥50.5K

$1,350 ¥213.3K

-76.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K ¥2.1M

$17.9K ¥2.8M

-25.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.49 ¥2,921

$56.0 ¥8,853

-67.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ¥3,378

$33.14 ¥5,236

-35.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.6 ¥9,725

$64.3 ¥10.2K

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 ¥14.3K

$70.2 ¥11.1K

29.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 ¥52.3K

$1,253 ¥197.9K

-73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 ¥52.6K

$700 ¥110.6K

-52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 ¥171.2K

$2,502 ¥395.3K

-56.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$731 ¥115.5K

$1,430 ¥225.9K

-48.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,146 ¥655.0K

$9,428 ¥1.5M

-56.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,741 ¥275.0K

$4,236 ¥669.3K

-58.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,232 ¥352.7K

$2,998 ¥473.7K

-25.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.25

-55.56%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Shizuoka: October 11, 2026

Last update for Tokyo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Shizuoka

$333 29.3%

Tokyo

$700 42.1% 110% $367

Groceries & Markets

Shizuoka

$254 22.3%

Tokyo

$325 19.5% 28.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shizuoka

$183 16.1%

Tokyo

$201 12.1% 9.5% $17

Eating Out

Shizuoka

$131 11.5%

Tokyo

$157 9.4% 20.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Shizuoka

$86 7.6%

Tokyo

$101 6.1% 16.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Shizuoka

$77 6.8%

Tokyo

$92 5.5% 19.4% $15

Getting Around

Shizuoka

$74 6.5%

Tokyo

$88 5.3% 19.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $331 in Shizuoka versus $1,253 in Tokyo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Tokyo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Shizuoka versus $37.00 in Tokyo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $325 – making Shizuoka the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇵 Shizuoka

🇯🇵 Tokyo

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

Same time as Shizuoka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,803

13,613,660 Capital

💱 Currency

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Shizuoka vs Tokyo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tokyo is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,706 per month in Shizuoka and $2,495 in Tokyo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shizuoka, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Tokyo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Shizuoka and $37.00 in Tokyo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shizuoka, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Tokyo at $1,663. In Shizuoka it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tokyo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shizuoka – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shizuoka. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tokyo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.